By: Ethan Stearns, sports information assistant
Photos by: Zoie Fisher, Otterbein sports information

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Bluffton University baseball team lost a Tuesday matchup against a tough Otterbein unit on March 21 by a final score of 5-3. Bluffton fell to 5-6 on the season while Otterbein continued to roll at 13-3.

The game started in favor of the visiting Beavers as freshman Kaden Bowman (Hilliard/Hilliard Davidson) plated Austin Francis (Troy/Miami East) with a single to left center in the top of the second. The Cardinals quickly responded with two runs in the home half, making the score 2-1.

The top of the third frame saw another Beaver score as sophomore Justin Maurer (Springfield/Kenton Ridge) zipped home on a wild pitch, knotting the game up at two apiece.

Both teams were held scoreless in the fourth and fifth frames before Bluffton took the lead once again in the sixth when Nick Diana (Batavia/West Clermont) lifted a sacrifice fly to left, sending pinch runner Eddie Hardaway (Englewood/Northmont) across the dish for a 3-2 lead.

Otterbein scored a run in each of the next three innings, while also shutting down the Beavers, in order to clinch the 5-3 victory at the end of a hard-fought duel.

Bowman and Diana each drove in runs for the visitors. Maurer went 3-of-5 at the plate.

Andrew Collinsworth (Westerville/Westerville South) went six innings and allowed three runs on four hits while striking out four and allowing no free passes. Jaden Jaques (New Palestine) took his first loss of the season (0-1) as he tossed one inning and allowed the go-ahead run. Freshman Alexander James (Vandalia/Butler) also saw an inning on the mound, allowing a run with no walks.

The Beavers get a few days to recover before kicking off their HCAC-opening three-game series with Anderson on Saturday, March 25. The first game of a doubleheader will start at approximately noon!

-BEAVERS-